House Dems Seven Cosigners Short of Assault Weapons Ban

Audrey Conklin

Politics, Americas

Will they be able to push the sweeping gun control bill?

The majority of House Democrats oppose an assault weapons ban, but they are still seven co-sponsors short of passing legislation.

• Democrats have been critical of the president’s changing stance on stronger background-check legislation since mass shootings left over 50 people dead in the month of August alone.

• Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie said House Democrats “want to take your guns,” but aren’t “sure politically” if they can do so and still maintain the majority.

House Democrats have not garnered enough support to pass legislation banning assault weapons while President Donald Trump has come under scrutiny for not actively pursuing stronger gun background checks.

The majority of House Democrats are co-sponsoring H.R. 1296, which “makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD).”

The bill, however, needs 218 co-sponsors to pass; right now, it has 211, including New York Republican Rep. Peter King, The New York Times reported Wednesday. California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s related Senate bill – S. 66 — has 32 co-sponsors.

Rhode Island Democratic Rep. David Cicilline, who authored the House bill, said an assault weapons ban is “an important way to reduce gun violence and to protect people from the carnage of mass shootings,” according to Newsweek.

A House Judiciary Committee hearing to discuss assault weapons is set for Sept. 25.